Sometimes there really is just not much to add. Our team’s win over the USA yesterday was historic in so many ways – first ever wheelchair rugby Paralympic medal for GB, first for a European nation, and first gold for GB in a team sport in the Games’ sixty-one-year history – every newspaper on today’s newsstands brims with images of the team’s success. As well as the euphoria of winning the gold medal, the final whistle also brought a huge emotional release for everyone who has been part of the incredible journey. It has been a bumpy road in so many ways and it’s been the belief in one another, the trust, the honesty, the willingness, and, as Stuart Robinson commented, to ‘always look out for one another’ that has delivered this incredible result. The journey was one shared by many – families, friends, club mates, fundraisers, sponsors, tin shakers, individuals who have sent in a few pounds, and an anonymous donor who sent in £10,000 – all because they believed in the athletes and wanted them to have the same opportunity as those who had UK Sport funding. I know that Paul and his team wanted to deliver to everyone who believed in them and they have more than fulfilled that ambition – wheelchair rugby Tokyo 2020 Paralympic gold medal winners; how good does that sound?
David Pond
